This invention relates in general to information storage, and more particularly to a method and system for storing information using nano-pinned dipole magnetic vortices in superconducting materials.
The development of materials that superconduct at relatively high temperatures allows devices to exploit the properties of superconductivity using conventional coolants such as liquid nitrogen rather than requiring coolants that are more difficult to create and use, such as liquid helium. Applications using high-temperature superconductors continue to be developed, but only a small portion of the potential scope of superconductor applications has been explored. Furthermore, many of the properties of superconductors have yet to be studied, much less applied.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,079,219, entitled xe2x80x9cStoring information-bearing signals in a superconductive environment using vortices as digital storage elementsxe2x80x9d and issued to Barnes, discloses information-bearing signals that are stored as vortices of electrical current in a superconducting material. However, this reference does not address production of sites for anchoring magnetic vortices in superconductive materials, control of the net magnetic flux of the superconductive material, use of superconducting materials with a non-crystalline or multiple domain structure, and reliable detection of the presence of magnetic vortices.
Technical advantages of certain embodiments of the present invention include exploiting the magnetic properties of superconducting materials to provide high-density information storage. By using relatively small magnetic vortices within a superconducting material to store information, superconducting materials can provide an information storage density comparable to if not significantly greater than that of silicon-copper technology.
Other technical advantages of certain embodiments of the present invention make use of superconductors. This makes the magnetic properties of the superconducting material available using conventional coolants such as liquid nitrogen, therefore obviating the need for more complex cooling systems. Furthermore, as superconductors become available at higher temperatures, embodiments of the present invention may exploit those improvements as well.
In accordance with certain embodiments of the present invention, magnetic properties of a superconducting material are used to store information. In particular, pinning sites are created in the superconducting material. The pinning sites pin magnetic vortices within the superconducting material in close proximity to the pinning sites. The position of pinned magnetic vortices may be detected and interpreted as stored information.
In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, a method includes providing a superconducting material having pinning sites that can pin magnetic vortices in the superconducting material. The method also includes pinning one or more magnetic vortices at one or more of the pinning sites. The locations of the pinned magnetic vortices may be interpreted as stored information.
In accordance with another embodiment of the present invention, an information storage apparatus includes a superconducting material, defects such as doped atoms within the superconducting material, a magnetic tip and a magnetic detector. The doped particles can pin magnetic vortices within the superconducting material. The magnetic tip generates pinned magnetic vortices when positioned in sufficiently close proximity to the superconducting material. The magnetic detector detects any pinned vortices at any of the pinning sites.